Hoe clamp



F. L. PURCELL Nov. 8, 1949 HOE CLAMP Filed June 4, 1947 FIG. I.

l6 I211 22 2O INVENTOR FRANK L. PURCEL ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 8, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT ornce HOE CLAMP Frank L. Purcell, Manhattan Beach, Calif.

Application June 4, 1947, Serial N0. 752,375

6 Claims.

The present invention relates to a new and improved hoe clamp and particularly to an improved clamp by which a hoe may be clamped in an inverted position and held securely while being sharpened as by filing. More specifically the invention comprises an economically manufactured light weight hoe clamp adapted to be secured upon a fiat board and so transported from place to place to be used as needed or which may, if preferred, be clamped upon a fixed horizontal or vertical supporting surface in a building.

The common and well known hoe is one of the most useful of instruments and is used by gardeners, farmers and all who work in the soil. Its efiiciency and ability to perform is dependent in large part upon the sharpness of its cutting edge, which, in view of the fact that it frequently encounters hard objects, such as stones, must frequently be sharpened. The common file is the sharpening means most frequently used and it is not an infrequent sight to see the worker resting his hoe in an inverted position upon one knee with the other leg overlying the handle to maintain the tool in position while he applies a file. Another accepted method of sharpening is to lay the inverted hoe upon a curbing or similar raised surface and then, while resting one knee upon the handle, file the edge. In the use of any of the accepted hoe sharpening methods, however, the hoe is not securely held and the file frequently slips, resulting in a out upon the hand from the blade. Where the sharpening can be carried on in the tool shop and the hoe held, as in a vise, of course these difliculties can be avoided but, as indicated, many times it is desirable to sharpen the hoe while in the fields and in the absence of suitable holding means.

With anappreciation of the defects of the usual methods used to secure the hoe being sharpened the present invention is directed to a hoe clamp which is relatively light so that it can be carried by being attached to the hoe itself. For example, the hoe can be clamped in the clamp and the worker may carry both hoe and clamp over his shoulder. The device in a preferred form includes a suitable supporting surface so that it is readily held and supported during the sharpening operation. If preferred, however, the device can be permanently mounted in the workshop and one of its advantages lies in the fact that it is adaptable for permanent mounting o for transportation.

It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved hoe clamp which can be economically manufactured, which is light in weight, and which can be transported, if desired, by the user to the place at which work with the hoe is to be performed.

It is another object of the invention to provide a new and improved hoe clamp by which the hoe can be fixedly secured in position and twisting and turning positively prevented.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a hoe clamp which can be mounted upon a horizontal or vertical supporting surface, as desired.

These and other more specific objects will appear upon reading the following specification and claims and upon considering in connection therewith the attached drawing to which they relate.

Referring now to the drawing in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated, and in which the same reference character refers to the same parts throughout:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a hoe clampconstructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side view of the construction illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical section upon the line 3-3 of Figure 2; I

Figure 4 is an exploded view in perspective of the clamp body removed from its supporting base and with the handle detached; and

Figure 5 is a view in perspective of the operating handle.

Referring again to the drawing in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated, the improved hoe clamp constructed in accordance with the present invention is seen to comprise a body, indicated generally by the refererence character In, mounted upon a supporting base which may be a board ll of wood. Body I0 is preferably formed of sheet metal shaped to form three walls indicated by the reference characters l2, l3 and [4. In the preferred form illustrated the angle between walls l2 and !3 is less than degrees, while the angle between the walls I 3 and I4 is somewhat greater. Walls I2 and I4 extend parallel to each other and while wall I 4 is of lesser width than wall [2 it is positioned, by virtue of the angularity of wall l3, so as to be opposite the center of wall 12. At the foot of each of the walls l2, l3 and I4 is an integral outwardly-extending flange bearing the same reference character as the wall to which it is attached with a supplemental suffix a. Screws 56 extend through these flanges into the supporting base board H and firmly secure body It] in place.

The apposed walls l2 and [4 are provided with upwardly-opening V-shaped notches l8 and I9,

respectively, the latter being of slightly greater angularity so that it is adapted to seat the handle of a hoe while the former is adapted to seat the shank. To receive and seat the hoe blade a bracket 20 is secured to the outer face of wall l2 and lies parallel thereto. The upper portion of bracket 20 is offset outwardly, by virtue of the 0 presence of a right angle shoulder 2!. so that the bracket provides a channel in cooperation with the adjacent supporting wall I2. The bracket may be secured in place by any suitable means, as by welding or by rivets, and is so positioned that its horizontal shoulder 2| extends-across the V-shaped opening |8 at about one-third of its heighth from the top. As many hoes are provided with goose neck shanks which curve into' the forward face of the blade bracket 29 is provided centrally with a recess 22 above a cutout portion 23 which extends in and downwardly from shoulder 2|. This relationship is shown most clearly in Figure 4.

The hoe to be sharpened is adapted to be placed in the clamp in the manner illustrated in the drawing with itsblade B resting along its lower edge upon the shoulder or seat 2| and with its shank S curving downwardly through the cutout portion 23 and through the lower portion of V slot l8 in wall l2, its handle H seating in slot |9 of wall l4. Clearly, however, some means must be provided to secure the hoe firmly in place and these comprise a lever 26 pivoted upon a pivotal bolt 21 adapted to be selectively positioned within one or two openings 28 or 29 in Wall l2, as is clearly illustrated in Figure 4. Lever 26 carries a locking spring 29 held in place by a hooked end which encircles a handle-carried headed pin 3|. The upper end of the spring curves upwardly in spaced relationship to the top of the lever from a pair of intermediate coils, as is shown most clearly in Figure 3. The arrangement is such that as the lever is pivoted downwardly from an upper tool-receiving position the outer curved end of spring 29 engages the hoe shank S in the manner illustrated most clearly in Figure 3, the further downward movement of the lever functioning to tension spring 29 to secure the hoe firmly in place with its blade B resting upon the shoulder 2| and its handle H in the V-shaped notch l9. Obviously some means must be provided to prevent lever 26 from being pulled upwardly by the force exerted by spring 29 and these comprise spaced teeth 33 arranged along the outer edge of a flange 34 turned inwardly from thewall |2. The lever for its part is provided with an outwardly flared surface or seat 36 adapted to engage selectively the teeth 33 and to be held therein by the tension exerted by spring 29.

For convenience in storing the file. F when not in use, wall l3 has formed on the outward face thereof an integral strap 31 through. which the file may be inserted.

The use and operation of the hoe clamp constructed in accordance with the present invention is believed to be clear. It being desired to sharpen the hoe it is seated in the clamp in the manner illustrated in the drawing. At the time of inserting the hoe the lever 26 is pivoted upwardly so that the shank S can be positioned under the spring 29. After the hoe has been seated the lever 26 is lowered to effect the clamping operation by the spring 29 as described. Upon being forced downwardly until the spring 29 exerts a considerable pressure the handle can then be moved toward wall l2 slightly until its curved portion 36 engages one of the teeth 33. It will then-be held locked in position by the spring 29 and the hoe itselffirmly secured. With the hoe thus positioned in the clam the operator can then support basell as he sees fit, as upon his lap, it being certain that the base provides a suitable supporting surface and if it is maintained against movement the clamp and the supported hoe will also be so maintained. Upon the sharpening operation being completed it is only necessary in order to release and remove the hoe to disengage the lever 26 from the locking engaging teeth 33, whereupon it can be pivoted upwardly and the hoe displaced.

As has been suggested previously, if preferred the clamp body H] can be mounted upon a supporting base comprising an integral part of a building or tool room or the structure and maintained. permanently in either a horizontal or a vertical position. In any case it is necessary only that an opportunity be presented for the lever 26 to be moved between its locked and unlocked positions and also that sufilcient room be given that the hoe handle can extend to its full length from the clamp. One advantage in mounting the clamp upon a movable supporting base II is that it can be transported to any desired location. It being relatively light the user can, if he desires; clamp the hoe in place as described and then pick up the entire assembly of hoe and clamp and carry it as a unit in any suitable manner.

While the particular device herein shown and described in detail is fully capable of attaining the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore stated, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention and that no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown other than as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A hoe clamp comprising a continuous folded metallic plate having two apposed sides with V notches in their upper edges and with securing flanges at their lower edges, a bracket secured adjacent the outer face of one of said sides to form therewith a channel adapted to seat a hoe blade when the attached handle thereof is seated in one of said notches, and manually operable means to clamp in place a hoe so positioned.

2. A hoe clamp comprising a folded metallic plate having two apposed sides with V notches in their upper edges and with securing flanges at their lower edges, a bracket secured adjacent the outer face of one of said sides to form therewith a channel adapted to seat a hoe blade when the attached handle thereof is seated in one of said notches, and a handle lever pivoted for movement adjacent said one side and including hoe-engaging means.

3. A hoe clamp comprising a folded metallic plate having two apposed sides with V notches in their upper edges and with securing flanges at their lower edges, a bracket secured adjacent the outer face of one of said sides to form therewith a channel adapted to seat a hoe blade when the attached handle thereof is seated in one of said notches, said one side having an end flange formed with teeth, and a locking lever pivoted for movement adjacent said one side toward and from said channel and adapted to engage said teeth selectively to look a hoe in place.

4. A hoe clamp comprising a folded metallic plate having two apposed sides with V notches in their upper edges and with securing flanges at their lower edges, a bracket secured adjacent the outer face of one of said sides to form therewith a channel adapted to seat a hoe blade when the attached handle thereof is seated in one of said notches, a locking lever pivoted to said one side below said channel, a coiled spring carried by said lever positioned to engage a hoe handle 5 with the hoe blade positioned in said channel, and lever-engaging teeth formed on said one side to retain said lever in hoe-locking position under the force exerted by said spring.

5. A hoe clamp comprising a folded metallic plate having two apposed sides connected by a third side, flanges extended outwardly from the lower edges of each of said sides and serving as means to secure said plate to a fiat supporting surface, a bracket cooperating with one of said apposed sides to form a channel to receive and seat the blade of a hoe, an open V notch in the second of said apposed sides to receive the handle of said hoe, a locking lever pivoted on said one apposed side including spring means to engage the hoe handle between said apposed sides, and means to secure said lever inlocking position.

, 6. The structure recited in claim 5 character ized in that a flat board is secured to said flanges as a supporting base and in that the entire assembly is adapted to be carried by the handle of the 5 hoe seated as described.

FRANK L. PURCELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 0 file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Maze Aug. 27, 1935 

